Sumiya Japanese Charcoal Grill - Yakitori

The charcoal grill smells great when you first walk in the door. The servers were courteous and quickly responded, helped us settle down a table. The food was easy ordered via online menu. The food was fast and tasty. It was our first time but we love the grilled seafood. The meat were probably better with sauces as a bit plain but tender and fresh.

The food here is delicious and rivals skewer places that I have visited in Japan. Everything tastes fresh and flavorful, and you can tell that a lot of care was put into each dish. The dining area can be crowded as it isn't too big, but we were able to get a table on a weekend dinnertime with only a 15 minute wait. I definitely recommend the skewer bento set so you can try a bit of everything!

The food here is as close as you can get in Japan without actually going to Japan. I always get a three skewers (beef, pork, and chicken) bento. It comes with salad that you choose your own dressing and a soft boiled egg. I also always add the oyster mushroom with garlic skewers (5/5) and karaage (5/5).

Tasty yakitori skewers served in a Japanese themed Izakaya environment. Lots of different meats and veggie items to choose from. Some of the favorites are chicken skin, beef, mushrooms, shishito peppers, and chicken butt. Sapporo beer on tap goes well with the meat skewers. Fast and friendly service. Plenty of parking in a free parking lot.

It's sad that they've removed the yummy soup from the galbi set, but overall it's still good. It's one of the few authentic yakitori places in the bay area. Highly recommend beef tongue set.

Sumiya offers decent food, though it doesn’t stand out among other izakaya spots I’ve visited. The skewers, while flavorful, are relatively small in portion size. However, the service is excellent, with the staff being polite and friendly, ensuring a pleasant dining experience. The atmosphere is another highlight, providing a cozy and welcoming environment that enhances the overall experience. While the food is good, it may not leave a lasting impression for those seeking something extraordinary. Overall, Sumiya is a solid choice for a casual meal with great service and a comfortable atmosphere, though the food could be more memorable.

Popular Yakitori place. Inside tables were all filled by 12:15pm on Friday lunch. Seated outdoors and ordered via QR code. Ordered the Bento box B and several skewers to share. Food can out pretty quickly. Tho everything tasted pretty good and service was efficient.

Updating my review: I revisited the restaurant last night (Monday) before 8:30pm. The friendly staff showed me to the table and patiently allowed me to look through the menu although it shows online they close at 9pm. I ordered skewers this time around. Had the beef skewers and grilled squid. Portions are rather small but I enjoyed the taste/flavor of both. My friend ordered the donburi rice bowl and upgraded it to a set which includes a salad and an appetizer. Everything was tasty. Will definitely visit again and recommend this place if u like charcoal grills. The servers were also very nice and offer tea refills even after closing hrs. We were there for under an hour. Will attached food pics of this visit. ______________________ 1st visit: Went there and had a set meal. It is decent and tasty but the presentation I was told used to be better vs now being more of a bento box style. I would probably not do the set in the future and go with the individual skewers.

It's been awhile since my last visit. I like that the Yelp waitlist system works so I was able to put myself on waitlist before heading over. We ordered the e bento B. I think the on app system payment has been there for awhile but I find it convenient this time when dining in with a friend and we split the bill. When you put in the order with your own phone, you only pay what you order so that's the ease of checking out if you have a big group. Food quality is back to what I expected. Tender meat. The waiter did refill our tea without us asking so service was good.

I absolutely love Sumiya. It's already been reviewed so I just wanna focus on the best parts. If you come, the things you absolutely must get are the scallops, chicken skin, and the duck breast skewers. They were are incredible and I would probably come and just get a couple of each of those. I also enjoyed the pork belly skewers. They weren't anything special but the green onion on the skewer added to it for me. The karaage was alright but a nice shareable appetizer. The bentos themselves were also decent but not mind blowing.

If you're a fan of yakitori, this place is an absolute must-visit! Every visit feels like the first--welcoming, flavorful, and always satisfying. From the moment you step inside, you know you're in for something special. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with the unmistakable aroma of perfectly grilled skewers. The star here, of course, is the food. The quality of the ingredients is evident in every bite. the flavors are spot on. The staff is attentive, friendly, and always willing to offer recommendations. This place will keep you coming back.

Sumiya is a popular local Japanese Yakitori place. The food here is decent and I especially like their chicken soft bones and Sapporo in the pitcher. The service is surprisingly fast when you order food via cell phone app. The Ambience is nice too and is great for friends to hang out. There are plenty of parking outside as the restaurant is in the strip mall.

My husband and I have visited Sumiya many times with friends as it's just down the street from us. We put ourselves on the weight list and waited until it was our turn. We found the waitlist quite inaccurate and had to wait on an extra twenty minutes or so than the wait list time. It took us over an hour to get seating for 3 people. Once we got seated, we ordered off the QR code. We ordered quite a bit as my husband and his friends are carnivores lol. We got chicken thighs, chicken gizzard, chicken skin, chicken heart, beef tongue, kalbi, seared salmon with onions, potato fries, salad, mushroom skewers, chicken karage, pork belly and rice. We enjoyed our food and I loved the fries, chicken thighs, mushroom skewers, and salmon appetizer. Most of the meat was tender- the kalbi could have been better. The chicken thighs were juicy! The potato fries really stood out for me as they were hot, crispy, and seasoned well. All our food was $175-a little pricey with fries being $13. It does quickly add up! I think other places may be less inexpensive. Overall, a good experiment but do be prepared to wait a while and spend a pretty penny.

Last night was the 2nd time I've been to this restaurant. Both time was a very pleasant experience. I love every dishes we've ordered. It's not a big place, but it felt very cozy and the staffs were all super friendly ! I highly recommended this little gem. It's a bit of long drive for me, I don't mind at all since the food was really delicious. I'll try their bento box next time. My friend had it last night and it looked very delicious !!

We had a wonderful group lunch here! I got the Oyako don, and it had an amazing flavor to it. It was a little heavy on the rice but this just meant more leftovers! The lunch set also came with a side and salad. I picked the agedashi tofu as my side. Service was quick and the staff were super friendly and sweet. They consistently filled up our water and were very attentive.

I always love Japanese BBQ and this place is my favorite. All good is fresh off the grill and they make the food in front of you. Food come out very quick and all pipping hot. My favorite is the garlic mushroom, it tasted spectacular. Service is quick since it is just a small space so they can see everyone rather easily. However sometime they can be busy with take out order.

This one is a hit or miss. Some dishes came out too salty (mostly the ones with a sauce) and some dishes came out too bland (the ones we asked for only salt as flavoring). Service was good, they kept filling out our water. I ordered chicken wings too but was too bland as well. I didn't like the food too much, so I wouldn't go back. It was definitely a disappointment.

Sumiya had been my favorite yakitori place and have been going here for many years. I went there for a lunch yesterday and ordered my usual, Yakitori Bento B with galbi. While the food was still delicious, the yakitori were rather cold and lukewarm as if they were pre cooked and were sitting for a while. This never happened before. And res was not so busy. I did share this feedback with the waitress.

We came to Sumiya for a group dinner on a Saturday night. It was pretty busy but thankfully we had the Yelp waitlist to help with the wait. The inside was a bit small so I wouldn't say it's the best place for a large group but they were able to accommodate our group of 6. The food was delicious! We got the combo set and a few izakaya skewers. I would say it's pretty pricey and not filling so you need to order a lot. The service here was also very nice! You order via QR code and they bring it out. We stayed here for a while since we were doing a white elephant but they didn't mind - which we appreciated.

Service is friendly and at 12:30 was seated immediately at sushi bar. They have a 3 course lunch menu with mix and match main, salad (you choose your dressing :), appetizer, and rice with soft egg. I had the beef tongue skewers (3) which came nicely grilled, still tender. The garnish appears to be raw garlic and green onion in oil. The skewers flip easily so I had to get the garnish back on with my fingers. Delicious though. For the app I had the burdock fries. Served with a good mayo dipping sauce. Nicely salted and toothsome. The salad is a spring mix and I chose the shiitake dressing. It was ok. A little bland. The rice had the nice surprise of a soft quail egg that I stirred into the rice. You are offered hot green tea or water.

Amazing Yakatori!! Wonderful lively restaurant. We used a phone to see the menu and order. They also brought menus to the table. The service was fast and seamless. We tried a huge selection of yakatori. I think the best dish is the grilled scallops. So flawlessly prepared, we ordered a second dish of them. The other surprising and delicious dish is the white tuna over a mound of pickled shredded vegetables. I didn't try anything too exotic but the beef tongue was given high compliments. I saw people ordering bento boxes and they looked beautiful. I liked the ordering system. Once the ordering starts, more dishes can be ordered very easily. Highly recommend.

Our group of 6 came on a Saturday night around 6pm and entered the waiting list once the shop opened at 5:30pm. We'd highly recommend entering the Yelp waitlist the moment it opens - especially if you're a larger group. We waited roughly about 20 minutes before we got through (keeping in mind we waitlisted as soon as they opened). Upon seating, you are offered either water or hot tea. You will also order and pay straight from the QR code/online - with the option to keep the tab open or closed. My partner and I shared a variety of dishes: set B don buri (came with 3 skewers, 1 choice of appetizer, and small sides such as rice) and a la carte skewers. I must recommend the galbi and beef tongue skewers - I could probably eat those endlessly! Their yuzu sake was also quite delicious - I'd recommend getting to share with 2-4 folks.

I live down the street...so Sumiya has been on my to-eat list since moving to the area. Came by around 7:30. We ended up staying a bit past closing. Didn't realize until we looked around and all the other customers had left. But staff never rushed us to leave. Two of us ordered quite a bit of food: -yakitori don set, potato mochi $20.75 -hatsu (hearts) $7.50, good texture -kamo (duck) $10, good, a bit pricey but flavor was good -nagoya style calamari $13 good -kalbi don set, tonkatsu $22.75, really tasty, would get again Staff was friendly. Easy parking in the plaza. Excited to be back soon! _______________________________________________________________ Came back a second time a few months later...about a 4 star experience. Came by before 6PM on a Saturday evening. Quite a few parties ahead and didn't realize they do Yelp waitlist. Was quoted around 40 min or so. Communication was super weird regarding seating...already told staff that we wanted to sit inside. About 30 min later, I get a call, and they ask if I want to sit outside again, and I say no, we want to sit inside. We end up waiting for more than an hour...so just be aware during peak times. This time around, 3 of us ordered: -yakitori don set, tonkatsu $20.75 -kalbi don set, chicken karaage $22.75 -hatsu (hearts) $7.50 -gyutan $12 -kimo (liver) $7.50 Overall, flavors were good, staff friendly. Just needs to work on peak time communication and turning tables. We eat fast and ended up finishing in like 20 min, but staff took awhile to turn our tables. Overall, will be back! Suggest going during off times!

Sumiya is the place where I had my first experience with yakitori. I remembered being blown away by the quality, taste, and concept. They're bite-sized pieces on skewers grilled over an open fire. Paired with an alcoholic beverage of choice, it's perfect for my liking. Seating is limited, and thus, enduring a wait is likely, especially during peak times on weekends. I had dinner here for my birthday before, because I like this place. Typically comes with two skewers per order, so the bill can add up quickly. They're fast and efficient, and orders come out quickly--a great way to spend an evening with friends or your significant other.

Negi-Tan Skewer Bento - 3 beef tongue (not 2) fairly good, good garnish of green onions on top. Agedashi tofu, 5 pieces good cleanser. Salad with shiitake dressing good smell. Rice and poached egg. And some pickled veggies too. Kalbi - could be more tender, sauce good. Heart, gizzard - good. Liver - a bit dry but that is how it is. Tea is good.

This place is the best yakitori place in the area! Super small restaurant space and super popular, so expect long wait times. There is a Yelp waitlist though. The portions are all very generous and I love their Bento sets and bowls. We honestly haven't had a bad dish here, and there is a pretty wide variety to choose from so a little something for everyone. The grilled Saba was a standout! Service was quick and efficient. Would definitely recommend this place.

Upon arriving at the plaza, it can get very busy during the weekends so please come a bit early! The inside is dimly lit if you are seated near the bars/kitchen area. It did take a while to receive the skewers, and I did have to wait. As for food, there are plentiful yakitori options and full-set meals too. It can get a bit pricey over time if you order several dishes. Pork belly, duck, beef tongue, and kalbi with ponzu were ordered! I would say the kalbi with ponzu was my favorite as it had a zesty and juicy taste which I like. The udon was delicious too but would probably not order more meals after as it can settle. The ontama bowl was simple yet filling. Overall, I would visit again but in an earlier time when it is less busy.

Sumiya is a must try if you like tapas style sharing. Great grilled flavors of meat and seafood over open charcoal tubes. Flavor is on point and so is the service! If you get a chance...try out Sumiya's sister restaurant, Gaku.

This place got the basics right and honestly that goes a long way, food was very flavorful without feeling heavy or overdone and I appreciated how they seemed to care about the details like making sure the dish was warm and looked right when it came out, what really stood out though was the way the staff treated everyone, just a natural sense of being helpful and kind without acting like they were reading from a script, that kind of genuine attitude is rare and made a big difference for me, it felt like a place that knew what it was doing and wasn't trying to be anything it wasn't, just good food made with care and served by folks who seem to enjoy working there, not everything was mindblowing but nothing was bad either, and that kind of consistency is something I respect, I'd happily go again.

Came right at opening time (5:30pm) on a Friday and was seated immediately. The wait got pretty long early on. The two of us shared the chicken karaage and skewers. My personal ranking of the skewers is as follows: 1) chicken cartilage 2) gizzards 3) pork belly 4) beef tongue. Chicken karaage was so delicious! Meat was so juicy and tender and went amazingly with the kewpie mayo. Pieces were huge. Food came pretty quickly and skewers were cooked nicely. I do wish that the bento combinations were customizable or had more variety. It'd be nice to pick the skewers you want for a bento. Restaurant isn't too big, feels bustling and cozy.

Second time coming, great skewers and food. Udon wasn't the best but service and atmosphere were great. Great yakitori.

This place never disappoints! The food is consistently delicious , super tasty and well-prepared. The staff are always friendly, and the service is top-notch. Highly recommend trying the Bentos, Butabara, and Agedashi Tofu. All absolutely scrumptious!

Food is great, value is ok, service is minimal. We ordered some appetizers and grills (see photos), most are great. The grills in particular were done beautifully: tender, juicy, flavorful. Would highly recommend the beef tongue, chicken wings, and (for those who love chicken gizzard) chicken gizzards. The fried calamari and grilled mackerel were also really good. The white tuna tataki was ok, no complaints, but also not impressive. Bill for two came down to $100+. It's definitely not a bargain. We were joking the same food would probably cost less than half that in Japan. Typical Bay Area. Service was a bit lacking. After we sat down no one asked us about water. Empty dishes weren't taken away timely. Ordering and checking were all done on the phone, hence "minimal". It's quite busy (packed) on a Friday noon

Sumiya is so good! The place itself is pretty small, so be prepared to wait or come early. We came on a Sunday night around 6 and we waited about 30 minutes for our table. At each table there is a QR code to scan that brings you a menu on your phone. You place your orders and check out on your phone. Some stand out skewers were the salt chicken skin, salt chicken thigh with skin, king oyster mushroom, pork belly with green onion sauce, scallops and chicken gizzard. The only skewer we didn't care for was the beef short rib. We also ordered a bento box and the tonkatsu was cooked perfectly. Servers were friendly and service was quick.

A nice intimate yakitori restaurant in a strip mall by Stan's Donuts, Armadillo Willy's BBQ, etc. Nicely decorated, modern decor in this narrow restaurant. The service is nice, friendly, and attentive. We only tried a few skewers. Kalbi, beef tongue, pork belly, chicken thigh, and chicken skin. Along with a salmon donburi.

This is one of the better yakitori spots in the Bay Area! Sumiya serves authentic Japanese skewers and more, and the cozy atmosphere makes it a great spot for dinner with friends or family. The skewers were cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of char. My favorites were the Nagoya style calamari and Grilled Saba (blue mackerel), so flavorful and juicy! They also offer a good variety of sides and small plates; we tried the Mi thigh, Sasami chicken breast, Gyutan beef tongue and Kalbi, which were tasty. The service was friendly, though it can get a little slow during busy times. The interior has a casual, rustic vibe, and it really transports you to a traditional izakaya. Overall, Sumiya is a solid choice for anyone craving yakitori. It's not the cheapest spot, but the quality of the food makes it worth a visit. Be sure to come early or join the waitlist, as it gets packed quickly!

11.10.2024. Dinner for my significant other's birthday~ thigh+sauce. 8.50. skin+salt. 9.50. butabara (pork belly i think)+salt. 9.50. Shishito. 7.50. kalbi+sauce. 14.00. gyutan(beef tongue)+negi(green onion sauce). 12.50. thigh+salt. 8.50. All of the yakitori was done really well. I think everything was yummy. The shishito was a little too salty. The peppers themselves had salt but coupled with the bonito flakes was more salty than desirable. The thigh+sauce was my fav but I also liked the negi sauce on the beef tongue. The negi sauce wasn't too overbearingly green onion tasting, rather it was quite refreshing. Overall, spent about $50pp and we were both content.

We went early so service was quick and food was tasty. When it started getting busy, our neighbors were talking very loud to each other. Not a place for romantic dining.

Sumiya is such a gem in the South Bay and I'm glad I finally made time to visit for dinner. The inside of the small restaurant is inviting and intimate. I chose to sit at the bar so I could see the chefs grill all the skewers like they do in Japan. We were seated immediately by the friendly staff and prompted to access the menu through the QR code and to order directly through our phones. There are plenty of skewer options to choose from, all reasonable priced. Most skewers came in a set of two and would arrive one order at a time. We also ordered their new ramen, the salmon ikura don, agedashi tofu, and a side of saba fish. I really liked the grilled beef short rib and the pork belly skewers, both being tender and flavorful. The salmon ikura don was also tasted fresh and was a good pairing to all the skewers we were ordering. We enjoyed our meal and I can see us returning for their lunch sets or for a fun dinner experience again.

This restaurant is located in a decent area with a large parking lot. It's located at the Mariposa shopping center, so it's surrounded by some interesting shops and has ample parking spaces. The inside of the restaurant is small with dim lighting. I thought it was cool that customers can see employees cooking from the entrance! I've never eaten here in person, I always get my order to-go. They usually give me an estimated wait-time of ~20 minutes until my order is ready and their estimated wait-times are pretty accurate. My favorite thing to get here is the chicken karaage don! I like to get it with their fries! Their fries are like little potato wedges and they're delicious! I've gotten their potato mochi and it was okay but I prefer their fries. I enjoy their salad as well. My favorite salad dressings are yuzu citrus and ume miso! The ume miso can be too sodium-heavy for me at times, so I usually get the yuzu critrus. There was one time where my chicken was undercooked and I felt sick the next day. I hope they ensure their meats are thoroughly cooked because their food is good! Fortunately, my last visit here went well; my chicken was cooked and I had no issues. I hope that incident was just a one time thing because I do enjoy coming here!

Sumiya is a chill izakaya with high-quality skewers for a steep price. My friends and I went here for dinner since one of us had been here before. We signed up on the Yelp Waitlist early, and we were in after one and a half hour wait. The vibe was top notch and was one of the highlights of the restaurant. It had wooden Japanese decor, and you could see the chefs making the skewers. We ordered on our phones, and the food was brought rather quickly. I got the Yakitori Bento B, which consisted of three skewers (chicken thigh, pork belly, and beef short rib), an appetizer, rice with a poached egg, and salad. I exchanged the rice for more salad and chose agedashi tofu for my appetizer. I like this bento because it offers a large variety of items for a reasonable-ish price ($22). The ume miso salad was good as it was fresh and had a flavorful sour taste. I didn't get tired of the salad and finished it. It also went well with the salty yakitori. I won't recommend the agedashi tofu was a bit dry and didn't have that much flavor. The egg was runny and had a nice seaweed flavor, making me wish I kept the rice. The chicken skewer was my favorite due to its classic grilled taste and chewy texture. The pork belly skewer was dry and salty, with a decent texture. The beef short rib skewer was honestly a letdown as it didn't have much flavor and was difficult to chew. Despite the high prices and long wait list, I still believe Sumiya is a great choice to wind down the work week with your friends. The vibe is top notch and the food is still pretty good. Next time, I'll also get a beer, and maybe that will enhance an already great dining experience!

It was a comfortable place with a good overall energy, not too loud and not too quiet either, I was greeted warmly and sat down pretty fast which set the tone right away, the staff didn't rush anything but they stayed on top of things and were polite the whole time, even brought an extra napkin without asking which was a small thing but nice, the food came out smelling really good and it looked fresh too, nothing fancy but clearly made with care, I tried a couple things and both had a depth of flavor that you don't get everywhere, like you could tell someone in the kitchen knows what they're doing, I especially liked the way the seasoning was balanced, not too salty not too bland just right in the middle, and everything had a good texture, not soggy or overdone, I think what stood out most was how easygoing the whole experience was, nothing felt stiff or forced and it was just a nice meal with kind people around, I'd go again for sure when I want something relaxed and satisfying.

We went out for a work lunch for some Japanese food. We wanted some sushi, but my co-worker picked Sumiya, which was a Japanese Charcoal Grill restaurant. All good, I am definitely opened to trying something new. I got the Bento B. A 3 combination skewers (chicken thigh, pork belly & beef short rib) on top of poached egg rice, Tonkatsu & Shiitake dressing for a fresh salad. The meat tasted great and I loved the beef short rib the best. I loved the crunch on the Tonkatsu. Service was good and the place is a nice cozy spot. It gets busy at lunch, so arrive early.

Great ambience and friendly staff! Arrived around 7pm on Sunday, already placed on the waitlist and waited around 20-30 minutes. No waiting seats inside and had to wait outside. Staff kindly opened the outdoor heater for us while we wait. Once we got seated, ordering is easy via website. We ordered apps, skewers and soup. Food tastes amazing. We enjoyed the skewers/yakitori, especially the beef tongue, must try!! Chicken skin is also really good. We tried the Gaku Udon, the soup/broth tastes amazing!! Customer service is very fast. No wonder this place is always crowded! I recommend this place and we will come back.

The food here was pretty good, I especially liked the white tuna bento and the garlic gizzards. A special shoutout to the potato mochi!! Very convenient with the QR menu and online payment option. Service was fast and the dark restaurant creates a pleasant atmosphere for dinner.

Great salad, great rice base, great markeral, great poached egg, great kalbi ... I liked this very much for a DoorDash on a rainy night. If I had a bit pick, it would be another skewer of kalbi but this is the economy these days. I was full when finished so I am willing to say it was 5 stars for takeout.

2nd time here. We are from out of town and this place is a must stop. Food, beverages, dessert and staff are fantastic! Seeing them prepare the food is an added bonus.

The food was quite ordinary for the price we paid, a lot of burnt parts that's charcoal black. Chef used to be Japanese master but now it seems like the food is been prepared by not so experienced chef. On the same plate, we would get a kalbi that's undercooked and another fully burnt. I hope they make it better again soon. At least have the jap chef or the waitress do a sanity check before serving the food.

Coming back couple years later and still did not disappoint. I remembered their skewers like how it was before, amazing! This time I also got their Paitan ramen and wow it was delicious! The broth is thick and salty, which isn't bad, but I enjoyed it. It was very flavorful! Their noodles are really chewy too. They garnished with chashu woodear mushrooms and bamboo shoots which all compliment the broth well. Service was great! It was fast and they were attentive. I like how you can order through your phone using the QR code they have. Will definitely come back.

Service was friendly and checked in on us regularly. The flavoring on the items could've been better. The place was small and comfortable. My son liked the sumiya ramen. Overall, okay experience.

好友從遠處出差來到矽谷，我們決定帶他來吃我們口袋名單裡的餐廳，湊巧我們一陣子沒來了於是我們決定來這家 Sumiya 吃一些日式烤串。今年七月分外熱，可能是因為如此，這家店的晚餐通常是人滿為患，但是今天倒是完全不用等。可能是大家對這種店內有火又有煙的店感到畏懼，怕活活的被熱死。的確，我們也是吃的滿頭大汗，但是這並不影響我們用餐的體驗。 這家店的中餐跟晚餐都有便當的選項，這個選項包括三串烤肉米飯沙拉以及一份小吃。我們三個人分別點了三個便當，小吃分別選了豆腐、雞軟骨、以及炸雞。另外我們加點了牛舌、雞肝、以及雞皮，這些都是這家店的牆打者。另外我還點了居酒屋很常見到的炸牛蒡，酥脆中帶點甜香非常的推薦。最後我另外點了一份韓國泡菜炒五花肉，這是今天唯一點錯的一道。 這家店我來了超過10次，沒有一次味道上有出任何的差錯，這也間接的驗證了師父烤肉的能力。如果你住在附近又或者有機會來到這邊我10分推薦這家餐廳。我給這家餐廳五星好評。

Food is very fresh, taste is very nice! Just a little expensive. I will still come back!

Food + service was excellent but definitely on the pricey side. You order and pay using your phone which is very convenient! I would definitely return to try other items on their menu.

It's okay. My friend and I arrived when the Yelp tablet had a waitlist so I was about to sign up, but the host saw us outside and ushered us in so we were seated immediately. We got B Skewers and teriyaki chicken don, with edamame and potato mochi as the sides. The salad dressing ended up being ume miso and yuzu citrus. Everything was very filling, there was a lot of rice in the teriyaki chicken don! I do wish the bowl was larger so that I could mix the sauces and chicken/rice/vegetables together evenly, it was almost overflowing so I had to sort of awkwardly stir it to make sure nothing would fall out. The chicken was good, the edamame is expected quality. Potato mochi was an interesting appetizer, the glaze must have had some sugar in it because it was a tad burnt but everything else was good! The cheese was delicious and went along well with the taste of the potato (reminiscent of a Korean potato & mozzarella cheese hot dog, haha). My friend said he preferred the chicken thigh skewer the most, that was best to him. The pork belly was good too, but the beef short rib fell flat to him. My friend and I are both not very big izakaya people, but in the future if we came back (since he lives 5 minutes away, it's convenient) we'd order something else to try. Nothing really stuck with us this time.

Came here at 6pm on a Friday, and there was a big waitlist on Yelp. Luckily we got offered to sit immediately at the bar. I noticed there were takeout orders too. You order using the QR code! The service was great. We appreciated the servers giving us updates on our orders. We got the: - free hojicha: it's dense! Strong tea flavor and free refills - Seared tuna bento: Perfectly cooked and went great with soy sauce + wasabi. - Chicken karaage: so juicy! The focus is more on the meat than the batter for sure. We ate this with rice. I'd recommend! - Skewers bento: This had meats like pork belly that I normally don't rave about, but the way the meat was cooked was so tasty that I could eat an endless amount of it. The charcoal cooking style is the star of the show. - cartilage and duck skewers: Both so delicious. The charcoal flavor stood out once again. All in all, a great place to get Japanese skewers and other foods within SJ rather than traveling North. I'll always remember the softness of duck meat and porta belly. Highly recommend!

Came back to give it another try and the food is OK. Pricey for decent food. Ordered a variety of items to share at the table and nothing really stood out.

My friend and I came here around dinner time on a Friday night and we had to wait about an hour to be seated. Ordering and paying was done through the QR code at each table. I ordered the Yakitori Bento B set which contained 3 combination skewers (chicken thigh, pork belly & beef short rib) on top of poached egg rice, agedashi tofu and shiitake dressing for the salad. While my friend ordered a Yakitori Don Bento similar in layout but different main dish and sides. $22.75 and $20.75, respectively without tax and tip. I was delighted with the amount for the order but the variety had its pros and cons. The chicken was okay as it was on the drier side, pork belly had a decent consistency, and the beef was moist but chewy. Not a lot of flavor but I enjoyed the adegashi tofu and the salad dressing was good. Overall, I'd revisit and try on of the Don dishes bc their runny egg and rice was the selling point. Long wait and high prices might make you reconsider but it's a great spot to dine and socialize with friends!